51

[Decima]

Luminescent, glowing, and otherworldly: green mandarin, neroli, honeydew, white amber, guava, freesia, white and green musks hovering over desert scrub, smashed wood, and the dry, biting scent of night air over the Groom Lake salt flats.

Imp: light, fruity, floral, soft musk

On: pretty much the same, really. Definitely a great summer scent, and the boy likes it as well (go figure one of his major interests is in UFOlogy...).

This imp was a gift, so I'm definitely going to order another just to compare "new" and "aged a smidge", as I smelled another imp and it definitely had more of the fruity notes.

Quite like it, either way

[theredkilt]

I am not an expert reviewer yet but just tried an imp of 51 and I really love it

 

As others have said it is a fruity light floral blend but really fresh white flowers and citrussy fruits

 

The dry down smell really does actually remind me of Thierry Mugler Alien but much fresher, less heady and with something more sweet and complex behind it

 

I love it and am seriously considering a bottle - a perfect scent for Spring and for work

 

I'm so HAPPY i'm not the only one who noticed that!!!! It's a perfectly subdued Alien and i loooove it!!! Who would've thought that all these notes combined would result in this wonderful smelling brew

[waternight]

In the imp: Fresh, green, pulpy, slightly astringent.

Wet: Extremely light. Sharp mandarin and...sweat? This takes on an off-putting sweaty/cat pee smell. Ack. After a few minutes, the sweat/cat pee goes away and this becomes predominantly a lovely freesia scent, with a current of watery honeydew underneath.

Dry: I loved the freesia stage, but dry this is a pretty nondescript aquatic floral on me.

[Victoriaoke]

wet: sweet freesia and melon. This smells like tropical fruit bubble gum. This is a soft, sweet, and... friendly scent.

 

drydown: there is a hint of something minty starting to come through, adding the the bubble gum feel. I'm also starting to smell the salt, so it could also be called salt water taffy. It's a tangy sort of sweet smell, if that makes sense.

 

final impression: this is nice. pleasant. It smells clean and fruity, with just that little hit of "something else" that makes it interesting. 51 is totally a spring/summer scent.

[hexnut]

51

 

Blind test, but see below.

 

 

In Vitro Light; aquatic?

 

Wet Aquatic or a light floral. After four minutes the "aquatic" note diminished leaving unidentified floral. This is when I first guessed it was 51.

 

Drying Twenty-five minutes after application this was a faint mixed floral. At thirty-five minutes it had an undertone of body odor or plastic. I wondered if this might be Thalia* instead with its unfamiliar (to me) champagne note. And then my BPAL bane officially appeared: plastic. Not as strong as in the Picnic In Arkham scents but very similar. Four and a half hours after application there was virtually nothing left.

 

Given that other users raved about 51 I was disappointed but not surprised that it didn't work on me.

 

 

A few orders later I got 51 as a frimp, the first duplicate the Lab has sent to me. This second test was "semi-blind" because I accidentally read the label while unpacking so I knew 51 was among the scents to be tested.

 

In Vitro Mild and perfumey.

 

Wet Extremely light, possibly citrus and/or aquatic.

 

Drying A light blend, probably aquatic. Ten minutes on: faint plastic? At twenty-three minutes there was a definite unpleasant component.

 

No surprise at the label reveal that evening. If anything it was worse the second time. I am sad.

 

 

*For the record, Thalia didn't go bad on me. Review to come.

 

 

59

[4807]

Floral and a sharp zest of something. I honestly can't pick out a single note in this. It smells almost like a stereotypical department store perfume without the chemical undertones I pick up in most of them. As much as I dislike florals this one isn't terrible. It isn't a cloying or heavy floral and, like I said, it doesn't smell like chemicals. I may use it as a summertime perfume for times when my usual go-tos don't seem appropriate.

 

ETA: My imp is probably 4+ years old. I remember it being much fruitier when I first got it.

Edited March 11, 2013 by AgentOrange

[terrenity]

Disclaimer: This imp is at least 3 years old.

 

In imp: Aquatics and green musk. Very soft and clean-smelling, reminds me of some aquatic-themed B&BW shower gel I used to have. Looking at the notes I'm actually not sure where this is coming from...I'm not getting the fruit at all. This would be a really nice spring/summer scent when you just want to smell like fresh laundry!

 

On: ...and it's gone. If I get reaaaaally close I can catch a whiff of freesia and musk, but for some reason my skin just ate this one up. Guess this is one for the scent locket!

 

This one has been on my wishlist essentially since I got into BPAL because of the "clean laundry" comparisons. I never would have guessed it from the notes, but this one really lives up to its reputation! I'm sad that my skin eats it, but I think it'll be lovely in a scent locket for summer. It's clean and refreshing but not soapy. If this is what aliens smell like, sign me up!

[stellamaris]

Dug through the last four pages, and I guess I never reviewed this, strange as it was one of my first frimps, and I always liked it. It is strange, and glowy bright, with an almost effervescent quality. I think I am going to make this into a summer perfume spray, it is really gorgeous.

The salty thing is the strongest note for me, it's the same one as I smell in Angry Crab or Halloween at Innsmouth. The melon is there, but it's not obnoxious, this does NOT smell like air freshener.

[Alainn]

First review!

 

In an effort to get through all of the imps I have sitting around waiting to be tested, I'm embarking on an alphabetical testing venture. Since this one falls outside the alphabet (and smells awesome in the vial), it's up first.

 

In the imp: Sweet, fruity floral--I can pick out freesia and melon, but it's very well-blended and has somewhat of a "perfume-y" aspect, so it's difficult to separate it into its component parts.

 

Wet, on skin: Ooh, this is lovely. It has kind of a light, watery feel from the honeydew, and the freesia--one of the few floral notes I like--adds a bright sweetness that I'm really digging. There's something a little darker here too, underneath it all, that keeps bringing my nose back to my wrist. The smashed wood and night air, perhaps? It definitely suits the green, glowing impression I expect from the description, with something a little sinister underneath.

 

Dry: The amber and musks finally show up once it's had a chance to warm up, but they're fresher than the musks that I usually like. They add depth to the blend without turning it into a dirty mess. The "something darker" (not sure what it is exactly) has stepped back, but is still very much present, grounding the scent and keeping the higher, juicier notes from floating away on me. The florals have backed down a little bit, and the whole scent just gives off a fresh, glowing vibe that I really enjoy. It is, as others have said, somewhat more commercial-smelling than other blends I've tried, but I don't really object to that. This would be a really nice scent for a hot day--the throw is medium for about three hours, then fades to a skin-close scent for several more. I don't know if I need a bottle, since I don't feel the urge to wear fruity florals very often, but if I do, I'll definitely be reaching for this imp.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Alainn

[Zii]

Little worried about all those flowers, but this is really a treat! I am getting the neroli and freesa and a little bit of the tarter orange floral that must be the mandarin, but it's kept quite nicely in check by the salty, slightly herby musks.

 

This is definitely one of the more feminine perfumes I've tried and it's a keeper, though probably not for everyday use.

[alyelle]

Imp: Light, white notes - honeydew, pale tea, a squeeze of citrus

 

Wet: Musk, fairly prominently, with overtones of sweet, woodsy smells

 

Dry: A sickly-sweet, soapy smell that I had to resort to scrubbing off. It's only the second or third fragrance that's disagreed with my skin to the point of washing it off instead of letting it wear naturally, and I wish I knew why. None of them seem to have common elements. :/

 

★: 1/5 on me, which is very sad as I love the concept.

[khemistry]

This imp smells just like the Macy's perfume counter. I dislike traditional perfume, so this is a capital N No for me. I think it's the freesia that makes this go so wrong for me. I did a dry test, but it was just more misery.

[Monster]

51 bridges the gap between the world of commercial, department store perfume and BPAL. This has a mainstream quality to it without the suffocating aldehydes and chemical dupes of natural notes.

 

This starts out as a fruity burst of mandarin, honeydew and guava. The tops notes quickly fade into the light and feminine white musk and freesia. It's a bright and feminine fruity floral blend with a gorgeous base of dry wood holding everything together. This is masterfully made, every note well-balanced and playing off each other in perfect harmony. The three stages make me think of the setting sun, it's bright in the morning, warm in the afternoon and the later memory of the sun-warmed day as the light fades from the sky. In the final stage, the fruit notes have completely faded leaving sweet florals and warm wood on my skin. This is beautiful! The throw is medium to average and the wear is incredibly long, I can still smell this after wearing it for hours.

[mymymai]

ITI: It's light, slightly perfumey. I definitely get "air" from this but also freesia, musk, salt, and mandarin.

 

Wet: It's slightly floral, musky, salty, with subtle hints of honeydew and really faint freesia. It's certainly interesting, but I'm not sold yet.

 

Dry: This is another short-lived scent. Even after an hour, it's already noticeably dissipated, to the point of having barely any throw. However, what I do get is a combination of musk, scrub, salt, and either guava or mandarin. It's nice, but I wish it lasted longer on me.

[Deliciousness]

In the imp: Sweet floral - with an airy quality - it's not heavy.

Wet on skin: For some this scent reminds me of a high end commercial perfume - but this is so much better! It's sweet, fruity and floral. I can pick out the honeydew and freesia and it's a wonderful combination.

Dry down: I think the white amber is coming to the front, warming this blend up a bit and lends a nice depth to the top fruity notes.

 

This was a surprise hit! I want to give a great big thank you to the Lab for frimping this blend to me. I'm in love!

[Miss Despair]

SO bright, fresh, and pretty! Sweet yet clean, with a hint of creaminess from the amber. Unfortunately, my skin takes this refreshing deliciousness and eats it right up.

[miamaslegi]

I tested this first back in September of last year, loved it, and put it on my buy-a-big-bottle list. Finally I ordered a bottle a couple of weeks ago - it hasn't gotten to me yet, but I went back and tested my imp again.

 

In the imp, 51 is very fruity - the honeydew and green mandarin (which my nose reads as lime) are very much in the forefront. Once I put it on, the musk and fresia come out beautifully. This does smell glowingly green - phosphorescent, almost. Very spring/early summer feeling. Dried, the amber comes out, warming and softening everything up. After several hours, I'm left with a light, sweet white musk and amber scent that is just lovely. I'm glad I've got a bottle on its way that I can stash away until this spring!

[JuliskaMarie]

In the imp: Oohhhh wow! This is amazing! It really does smell alien in the best way possible! I can *just* pick out the guava, but this is really well blended, so it's hard to find individual notes here.

Wet on skin: It's completely different, but not in a bad way! In the imp I was mostly getting the "alien glow" vibe, but now it's a musky desert, with a little bit of fruit. Not at all what I was expecting, but nice.

Dry on skin: Changed again! An alieny, fruity, florally, desert-y, ambery musk! I still like it best in the imp, but this is pretty

After a few hours: About the same as dry.

Verdict: This is a really unusual scent, but I like it! I love it in the imp though, so while I can see myself wearing it a few times as it is, I think I'd get more use from it with a scent locket.

[radioaction]

Wet: Dry, salty air blowing over aged wood with something fresh and green, and something sort of slimy sweet.

Dry: Freesia starts to come out, carried on the same salty, woody breeze. I think the fruits are keeping it round and juicy instead of straight floral, without being identifiable in and of themselves.

 

It's the smell of stumbling through the desert brush to find a well worn wooden shack harboring a foreboding green luminescence. You can't quite see through the cracks in the walls, but as the harsh light falls upon your face, you're greeted with the smell of something decidedly otherworldly.

[unxolve]

Beautiful and familiar! Mostly freesia with a bit of melon, I think, but tempered by the amber and greenish-smells. Fresh this is a really cute, nice scent without being too sweet. Definitely makes me think of spring and summer. I usually like warm/spicy/wood scents and veer away from fresh/citrus/floral, but I could wear this regularly.

 

As it's drying down, it does get more salty-aquatic.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: Fruity and floral. I think I am getting the green mandarin, honeydew, guava, a bit of the neroli, and the freesia note (which I recognize from Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending).

Wet: Same, but the freesia note is stronger than the fruit notes on my skin. Then, it ends up taking an unpleasant turn. Perhaps it is the green musk combined with the freesia? I'm not sure. The neroli is also becoming more prominent, making the scent bitter. I am also getting a woody aspect to the scent now. However, the freesia remains the dominant note.

Dry: Freesia still reigns, but it is softer now. I'm not sure if it is the honeydew or guava behind it. I get the floral note, followed by fruit, and then a bit of light musk and dry wood.

Verdict: This one is a bit too perfume-y and dry for me. It isn't bad, it's just... not really my thing.

[Veronica]

This smells like clean laundry and detergent. Very soft, white and soapy in a good way.

[Malaena]

This is an airy, fruity floral. It doesn't really have much impact for me. It's not good or bad, just meh. The melon is nice but it leaves too quickly!

[DoktorDandy]

In the Imp: Greeny, fruity, very alarmingly powdery. Almost my hated baby powder smell... Uh-oh...

 

Wet: So. Fruity!.

Green fruit, sweet but not cloying. Is that the honeydew? It seems to be off the mark. Bubbly then- green champagne? This is a strange green, not grassy, not ivy, not plant-like-green. Not muscat even. We'll see what it does...

 

Dry: Wugh, the changes come thick & fast. Green is still the color of the day, but 51 goes soapy, very quickly, and not in a way that I think I like very much. Almost a chemical cleaner smell, though not as distinctive as one with citrus in it. A little bit floral and headachey on the edges, not quite paperwhites or lily, not sure what this is. No sign of the wood- that's disappointing. Not bad when the florals are present for a while- might be the freesia coming out on me? It mutates too quickly.

 

Final thoughts: Ended up really not being into this one. It settled eventually into exactly the scent of the liquid soap in my middle school's public bathrooms- not a very lovely thing. Not for me. Was the first BPAL I've had to wash off after a few hours. Not for me, unfortunately- kind of a shame. Will probably end up swapping it or giving it away to a friend or family member.

[kajacana]

This dries down to a very light, white/green floral on me. I can pick up the juicy scent of fresh fruit lingering in the background, which keeps the blend sweet instead of sharp. I don't usually like florals, but this one is light and clean, not at all cloying, so that's a plus.

I would recommend 51 to someone who was hesitant to try perfume oils for the first time, because a lot of people expect oils to be IN YOUR FACE and this one is definitely not! It's approachable, wearable, soft, and in my opinion scents like this are the perfect gateway to BPAL-Land. If you're a fan of commercial perfume, and you tend to favor light florals, green scents, and a springtime vibe, then you would probably like this blend.